Improvement in umbrellas



H. MARTIN.

Umbrella.

No.160,214 Patentedfeb.23,l875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron HENRY MARTIN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,214, dated February 23, 1875; application filed September 11, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, HENRY MARTIN, ofLouisville, in the countyof J efferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to umbrellas in which the tips are pivoted to the outer ends of the stretchers, so that they may be turned upwardly to form a gutter around the periphery of the umbrella, so as to prevent the water whigh collects on the umbrella from dripping upon the person using the same.

This class of umbrellas, as heretofore constructed, have been provided with a series of rods connected with the runner and attached to the tips which are pivoted to the stretchers, so that the tips are raised to form a gutter around the outer edge of the umbrella by the movement of the runner in raising the same. By such arrangement a specially-constructed umbrella and complicated and expensive mechanism are required, and the umbrella cannot be used without the tips being raised to form the gutter.

My invention has for its object to improve upon such class of umbrellas; and to this end it consists in pivoting the tips of the umbrella to the ribs, so that they may be each separately turned up entirely around the umbrella to form the gutter or channel, in case the umbrella is used in rainy weather, or, they may be left in their normal position, should it be desirable to provide a sun-umbrella. The tips are centrally pivoted to the stretchers, and to the outer end of the same the fabric composing the covering of the umbrella is attached, and to the inwardly-projecting end of the same is attached a narrow strip of fabric or flexible material, which is also sewed to the umbrellacovering entirely around the same, the object being to conceal the joints of the tips and procure a perfectly straight gutter or channel in a line from one stretcher to another, whereby the water is prevented from collected at the pivot-joints of the tips.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my umbrella, showing the tips turned up. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached \1 views of one of the'ribs and tip, showing the strip of flexible material in position.

Like letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The umbrella proper is of the usual or ordinary construction, and to the outer extremity of each rib A is pivoted a tip, B, in such a manner that said tip will possess an inwardlyprojecting arm, a,and an outwardly-projecting arm, b. The outer edge of the covering of the umbrella is attached to the outer end b of the tip, and with the outer end of the stretchers, at or about the pivot-joints of the tips. To the outer edge of the inwardly-projecting arms a of the tips is attached a strip of fabric or other flexible material, 0, said strip being attached at its inner and outer edges to the tip, and its inner edge is sewed to the covering of the umbrella, entirely around the same, by which means, when the tips are turned upwardly to form the gutter or channel, the said strip will conceal the joint or pivot from view, and it will be at an angle to the cover; and, by reason of its being sewed onto the cover at one edge its entire length, it will produce a straight gutter or channel in a line from one stretcher to another, whereby water is prevented from collecting at the junction of the stretchers and tips. It will also be seen that when the tips are in a line with the ribs the strip 0 of flexible material will lie close to the cover of the umbrella, and the latter will have the neat appearance of the ordinary umbrella. The inner arms of the tips are provided with sockets 0, into which sockets the flattened outer extremities of the rib fit when the tips are in a line with the same, thereby permitting the tips to lie closer to the stretchers, and adding greatly to the neat appearance of the umbrella. It will also be observed that each tip is entirely independent of the others, and can be turned up or down, as desired, and if two persons should use the umbrella together, two or three of the tips on each side may be turned up and the shoulder of each person protected from drippings, and the water will drip off at the front and rear of the umbrella, or all of the tips, with the exception of one, may be turned up, and, by holding the umbrella in a slightlyinclined position, the single tip will act as a spout to permit the water to pass off, none of which advantages can be secured with this class of umbrellas, as heretofore constructed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an umbrella of the usual or ordinary construction, the tips B, pivoted to the outer extremities of the ribs, as described, and each tip capable of being turned up or down independently of the other, and the Whole constructed so that the tips may be turned up to form a gutter or channel, or turned down to form an umbrella of the usual appearance, substantially as described.

HENRY MARTIN.

WVitnesses:

FRANK PARDON, CHAS. A. LEHMANN. 

